Commercial and military software documentation: Different steps to a common goal
Faye C. Budlong · Managing Requirements Knowledge, International Workshop on · 1984
Talking about creativity in software documentation may seem like a paradox, but it exists. Even a functional specification for a new product has an element of creativity: It outlines a product that will require the creative endeavors of several developers over a period of time. Further, user manuals require ingenuity to reduce many complex functions to a series of simple, identifiable steps that the user can understand and follow. Training documents require creativity to develop examples that new users can understand and to reinforce a learning curve that allows the reader to become proficient using a new product. And reference manuals require perseverence to ensure that all functions of the product are defined and explained clearly and concisely.This paper is an overview of the development process for software documentation from concept to initial release. It lists much of the documentation required for each major software development step and compares documentation for commercial projects with that required to meet military project standards.